Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-12-08

-. 80 <se=s-7' z5s-sSS
measure OF their welfare and comfort. But
the reduction Of taxation demanded should
be so measured as not to necessitats or ius-
tty the loss of employment by the working
man, nor lessen his wages, the profits still
remaining to the manufacturer after
necessary readjustment should furnish 20
excuse for The sacrifice of the interested of
Is employees either in their opportunity 10
work or in the deminution Of their compan-
sItion- Eo- can the worker in manufGc-
tures faI y understand that while high
;GriF is claimed TO be necessary TO allow
the payment of remunerative wagers it GER
tGinly resulted in very large increase in
the p.ica ot nearly all sorts OF manufac-
tures, which, III almost countless forms, he
needs for the use Of himself and his family.
He receives st the desk of his employer his
wages, and perhaps before he reaches his
home is obliged in purchase for family
use of au article which embraces his own
labor, to return in the payment of tho in
crease in prics wlich thu tariff permits tho
hard earned compensation o. N any days Of
toll
The farmer aud the agriculturalist, who
manufacture nothing but who pay the in
creased price which the tariif imposes, upon
avery agricultural implement, upon all he
wears and upon all he ases and owns. ex-
cept the increase Of his focks and herds. and
such things as il his huSbandry produces
from the SOIL is invited to aid in main
tanning the present situation, and he is told
tnat high duty on imported wool is neces-
sary for the benefit of those who have sheep
to shear, in order that the price of their
wool may be increased. They, of course,
sre not reminded thai the farmer who has
no sheep is this scheme obliged, il his pur-
chsssS of clothing and woolen goods, to pay
: tribute to his fellow farmer as well es to
the manufacturer and merchant; nor is any
mention made Of the fact that the sheep
owners themselves and their households.
must wear clothing aud use other articles
manufactured from the wool They sell at
;arif prices and thus as consumers must
return their shars of this increased price to
the tradesnan-
l think it may be fairly assumed that q
large proportion of the sIssp ownei by the
farmers throughout the country ara found
in small hocks numbering from twenty-five
70 fifty. The duty on this grade of imported
wool which thsse shasp Yisld is ten cents
each pound if OF the vAIus of thirty csnta or
less, and twelve csnts if of the value of
more than thirty cents. II the liberal esti-
mate of six pounds be allowed for each
deece, the duty thereon would be sixty or
Ieventy-two c9nts, aud this may bs taken
Is the utmost enhancement of its price to
:he farmer by reason OF this duty. Eight
sen dollars would tdu5 represent tha in
creased price of the wool from twenty-five
,hesp and S3j that from this wool of fifty
,heep; and at present values this aIiition
would amount TO about ols-thiri of its
price Il upon It's sale the farmer receives
;his or less tariff profit, the wool leaves
his hands charged with precisely that sum,
which in all It's chi'ls5s will aihsrs to it
lntil it reaches the consumer. When man
1tactured into cloth and other goods and
material for USE its cost is not only in
creased TO the extent of the farmers tariff
croft, but q further sum has been added
,or the 5snJi5 OF the manufac5u. .sr under
he operation OF other tariff laws
In tho meantime the day arrives whom the
farmers find it necessary to purchase #oolen
FOODS and material to clothe himself and
,amily for the winter When he faces the
iradesmau for that purpose he discovers
hat he is obliged not only to return in the
way of increased prices, his tiriR profit on
;hs wool ne sold, and which then Derbaus
iss before him in manufactured form, but
hat he must add C considerable su III thereto
70 meet further increass in cost caused by
tariff duty on the manufacture Thus ia
he end he is aroused to the fact that he ba4
paid upon a moderate purchase, as a result
OF the tariff scheme, which, when he sold
his wool seemed so profitabi9, al increase
in price more than sufficient to sweep away
all the tariff profit he received upon the
wool he produced and sold
When the number of farmers engaged in
wool raising is compared with the farmers
In the country, and the small proportion
they bear to our population is considered;
when it is made apparent that in the case of
q large part of those who own sheep, the
benefit of the present tariff on wool is
illusory; and, above all, when it must be
conceded that the increase of the cost of
living caused by such tariff becomes bur-
den upon those with moderate means ana
the poor, the employed and unemployed, the
sick and well, and the young and Old, and
that it constitutes tax, which, with releut-
less grasp, is fastened upon the clothing Of
every man, woman and child in the land,
reasons are suggested why the removal or
reduction of this duty should be included in
a revision of our tariff laws.
In speaking of the increased cost to the
consumer Of our home manufactures, result
ing from duty laid upon imported articles
OF the same description, the fact is overlooked
that competition among our domestic pro-
ducers sometimes has the effect of keeping
the price of their products below the highest
limit allowed by such duty. But ii notori-
GUS that this competition s to often stran-
gled by combinations quite prevalent at this
time and frequently called trusts which have
for the object their regulation of the supply
and price of commodities made and sold by
members of the combination. The people
can hardly hope for any consideration in the
operation Of these selfish schemes.
IL, however, in the absence of such combina-
tion, healthy and free competition reduces
the price of any particular dutiabie article
of home production below the limit which
it might otherwise reach under our tariff
laws, and if, with such reduced price its
manufacture continues to thrive, it is en-
tirely evident that one thing has been dis
covered which should be carefully scruti-
nized in an effort to reduce taxation. The
necessity of combination to maintain the
price of any commodity to the tariff point
furnishes proof that some one is willing to
accept lower prices for such commodity and
that such prics5 are remuneTstIve, and
lower prices produced by competition prove
the same thing. Thus where either of these
conditions exist, case would seem to be
presented for an easy reduction OF taxation.
Tbs considerations which have been pre-
sented touching our tariff la VS. are intended
only to enforce an earnest recommendation
that the surplus revenues OF the government
be prevented by the deduction Or our Gus
rom duties, and, ct the same time, to en-
phasize suggestion that in accomplishing
this purpose we may discharge a double
duty to our people, by granting to them
measure of relief from tariff taxation in
quarters where it is most needed, and from
sources where It can he most fairly and
justly accorded. Nor can the presentation
made of such considerations, with any de-
gree of fairness; be regarded as evidence Of
unfrierdliness toward our manufacturing
interests, or of any lack Of appreciation Of
their value end Importance.
These interests constitute leading and
most substantial element OF our National
greatness, and furnish the proud proof of
our country's progress. Bat if 10 the emsr
gency that presses upon Us our manu-
facturers are asked to surrender something
for the public good, and TO avert disaster,
their patriotism as well as q grateful resig-
nation OF advantagej' already afforded,
should lead them to willing cooperation.
No demand is made that they shall forego